Department for Transport

Bridges: Closures

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to local authorities and the Greater London Authority on the (1) closure of bridges, (2) factors to be considered when deciding to close a bridge to traffic, and (3) length of time for which bridges should remain closed.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport endorses the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, published by the UK Roads Liaison Group. The Code provides advice to highway authorities on all aspects of the management and maintenance of highways and associated assets such as bridges. It provides guidance on issues such as substandard structures and possible remedial action, such as weight restrictions or, if necessary, closure.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the fund for re-opening railway lines closed by the Beeching Cuts will be administered; how decisions will be made on which lines it will be used for; how that fund is intended to interact with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline system and Governance of Railway Investment Projects;and what over what period of time the funds will be (1) allocated and (2) spent.

baroness vere of norbiton: To help communities across the country, we have pledged £500m to start reopening lines closed following the Beeching report, reconnecting smaller towns, regenerating local economies and improving accessibility to jobs, homes and education. Further details will be announced in due course.

Roads: Accidents

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what rates of (1) deaths, and (2) injuries, are recorded on roads,per capita, broken down by (a) region, (b) speed limit, and (c) mode of transport.

baroness vere of norbiton: The number and rate per million population of people killed and injured in reported road accidents, by region, road user type, and speed limit in Great Britain in 2018 are shown in the tables attached. 



Tables showing deaths & injuries on roads in 2018 
(Word Document, 26.4 KB)

Roads: Accidents

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the incidence of road deaths and injuries.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users. The Road Safety Statement – ‘A Lifetime of Road Safety’, published in July last year, describes in some detail the Department’s intention to undertake a set of actions in the coming years aimed at improving road safety. For example, one of those actions is for the Department to establish a rural roads working group to share experience on improving rural road safety and to work together to tackle the key issues. The effectiveness of these measures will be kept under review.

Transport for Wales: Network Rail

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the planned asset transfer between Transport for Wales and Network Rail has now been approved by the Secretary of State; and whether that was done in time for the planned implementation on 31 January.

baroness vere of norbiton: Officials from the Department for Transport, Her Majesty’s Treasury and Network Rail continue to work closely with colleagues from the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales on the divestment of the Core Valley Lines. The Department and partners remain on target to consider the necessary approvals and deliver this divestment by the agreed contractual date, which has always been 31 March 2020.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Productivity

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the 0.3 per cent improvement in UKproductivityover the last decade; and why UK productivity is below that of other comparable countries.

lord duncan of springbank: The UK has a longstanding ‘productivity gap’ with its main competitors. This has been exacerbated in recent years by weak productivity growth, commonly referred to as the ‘productivity puzzle’.The slowdown in UK productivity growth in the last decade can largely be attributed to changes in the finance and manufacturing sectors which saw an outsized fall in their productivity growth. Economic shocks and pressures arising from the Financial Crisis and the Euro Area crisis also had a dampening effect on productivity.Productivity is the main driver of long-run economic growth. The UK’s ability to improve living standards is almost entirely dependent on its ability to raise productivity. In 2017 the Government published a document on the Industrial Strategy that set out a long-term plan to boost productivity by backing businesses to create good jobs and increase the earning power of people throughout the UK with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure. The Government recently published the Business Productivity Review in response to the Industrial Strategy’s core priority of addressing the UK’s productivity issue.Furthermore, the Industrial Strategy Council – an independent, non-statutory advisory group comprised of leading men and women from business, academia and civil society – was created to provide impartial and unbiased evaluation of the Government’s progress in delivering the Industrial Strategy. The Council published its success metrics on its website in Autumn 2019.

Fireworks: Licensing

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide local licensing authorities with greater powers to control the use of fireworks by members of the public at all times of day and all days of the year.

lord duncan of springbank: Existing laws are in place to control firework availability and use, to reduce the risks to people and disturbance to animals. Included are age related restrictions, a curfew, and a noise limit. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is developing a fact-based evidence base on the key issues that have been raised around fireworks. This includes looking at data on noise and disturbance, anti-social behaviour, non-compliance, environmental impact, and the impact on humans and animals. This will build a fuller picture of the data around fireworks in order to identify whether further action is appropriate.

NHS: Amazon

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that Amazon staff working on the contract with Amazon to provide health data from the NHS will receive a living wage and be treated with dignity and decency.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to ensuring fair pay and we are clear that all workers should be treated with dignity and decency. We have announced that in April 2020 the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 6.2 per cent to £8.72 for those aged 25 and over. This increase will mean that a full-time worker will see their pay increase by £930 over the year. The Government considers the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) when setting the rates. The LPC draws on a wide range of analysis to make its recommendations – this includes independent research, stakeholder evidence and a consideration of impacts on businesses. Workers who believe that they have been underpaid the minimum wage or treated unfairly at work may wish to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration service (Acas) for impartial information and advice.

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their response to the Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting Consultation, first published on 18 October 2018.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government ran a consultation from October 2018 to January 2019 on Ethnicity Pay Reporting. The Government met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers towards reporting. A response will be published in due course.

Thomas Cook: Archives

lord faulkner of worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Thomas Cook historical archives will be (1) preserved, and (2) made accessible.

lord duncan of springbank: The archive of Thomas Cook’s historical papers has been transferred to the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in order that it can be preserved and made available for inspection.

Whirlpool Corporation: Washing Machines

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to Whirlpool’s washing machine recall, how the Office for Product Safety and Standards will contact affected Whirlpool customers to ensure that the company is handling its recall effectively.

lord duncan of springbank: It is Whirlpool’s responsibility to contact consumers and undertake an effective recall. The Office for Product Safety and Standards is closely monitoring the progress of the Whirlpool washing machine recall and the actions of the company. We have required Whirlpool to keep us fully updated on the progress of the recall, by providing a range of metrics including consumer engagement. OPSS regularly checks Whirlpool’s customer contact on this issue. OPSS will publish regular updates of data on the recall, including on the time taken for customers to receive a remedy.

Whirlpool Corporation: Washing Machines

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to Whirlpool’s washing machine recall, whether the recall was enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards or whether it was undertaken voluntarily by Whirlpool.

lord duncan of springbank: Whirlpool is responsible for the safety of the products it places on the market and for effective action when unsafe products are discovered. OPSS, as the national regulator, has assessed and agreed the company’s proposal for a recall is proportionate to the risk identified, including ensuring timely notification of consumers as to the action they need to take. OPSS is monitoring the recall closely and will hold the company to account if the recall is not effective.

Minimum Wage

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the incentives for firms to comply with paying the National Minimum Wage.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to ensuring employers correctly pay the National Minimum Wage (NMW). We recognise that as the minimum wage increases, so too does the risk of non-compliance. This is why we have doubled the compliance and enforcement budget to £27.4 million for 2019/20, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16. Last year was a record year for NMW enforcement, HMRC identified £24.4 million in minimum wage underpayment for over 220,000 workers. Our enforcement approach is designed to strike a balance between promoting compliance with the NMW whilst deterring future cases of underpayment. HMRC uses a variety of methods to achieve this, working with employers and workers to raise awareness of NMW rules and, in instances of underpayment, using sanctions to deter future non-compliance. We regularly review and adapt our approach to address particular issues around non-compliance and will continue to do so.

Cobham: Advent International

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they (1) sought, and (2) received, from Advent International in regard to the acquisition of Cobham plc, that Cobham plc would not be stripped of its assets.

lord duncan of springbank: On 20 December, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced that she had accepted statutory undertakings from the parties involved in the proposed acquisition of Cobham by Advent International. These undertakings:ensure that sensitive Government information continues to be protected;ensure Cobham honours the terms of existing contracts and notifies the Government if there is a material change to the ability to supply key services; andrequire Advent to give prior notice to the Ministry of Defence and Home Office if there are plans to sell the whole, or elements of, Cobham’s business.Separately, the companies also provided legally-binding undertakings on the wider economic implications of the transaction. The companies have agreed with the Takeover Panel that Cobham’s headquarters will remain in the UK, that the Cobham name will continue to be used and that there will be a guaranteed level of R&D spend. Advent also gave a commitment to the Business Secretary to protect jobs. These undertakings will secure the future of Cobham and the important role it plays in our world-leading defence sector and economy.

Department of Health and Social Care

Smoking: Health Services

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken into the correlation between reductions in Public Health England's anti-smoking budget and the number of smokers in England; and what are their projections for the future costs to the NHS of treating smoking-related illnesses as a result of any such reductions.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has not conducted any such research and has therefore made no projections on future costs. Public Health England’s Stoptober campaigns have continued to achieve positive anti-smoking outcomes. For example, in 2018 19% of smokers reported making a Stoptober-related quit attempt in comparison to 16% in 2017. Adult smoking rates in England are at their lowest level since records began, currently at 14.4%.We remain determined to achieve our 2019 Green Paper ambition of a smoke-free society by 2030. Prevention remains at the heart of the NHS Long Term Plan, with clear commitments for smoking cessation services in secondary care, and we continue to fund stop smoking services provided by local authorities.

Osteoporosis: Females

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there has been any increased incidence of osteoporosis in women who wear the Burka.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: No assessment has been made.

NHS: Innovation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the suggestions in the reportby the Academy of Medical Sciences Transforming health through innovation: integrating the NHS and academia,published on 8 January, that NHS breakthroughs have been put at risk.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department funds health research in England through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which invests over £1 billion annually to fund translational, clinical and applied health research spanning the whole innovation pathway. Since it was established in 2006, the NIHR has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research, and driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the health system.The NHS Long Term Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Deals sets out a clear vision of a health system which prioritises innovation and delivers faster patient access to life-changing products. The Accelerated Access Collaborative has been established to act as the umbrella organisation overseeing the ecosystem. It brings together the leaders from Government, the National Health Service and industry to tackle the barriers to the development and adoption of innovation in the United Kingdom.

Prescription Drugs: Environment Protection

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reduce the environmental impact of NHS prescribed pharmaceuticals.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Health Service is leading by example in sustainable development and reducing its use of natural resources. As set out in its Long Term Plan, the NHS restated its commitment to the carbon targets in the United Kingdom Government Climate Change Act 2008, reducing carbon emissions (on a 1990 baseline) by:- 34% by 2020; and- 51% by 2025 In particular, the NHS Long Term Plan commits that a substantial reduction in the carbon impact of inhalers and anaesthetics over 10 years, will contribute to the overall NHS carbon reduction targets.Work is also underway to consider how other NHS prescribed medicines can help the NHS achieve these commitments.

Pregnancy Tests

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will respond tothe freedom of information request, made by Marie Lyon, Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests on 13 November 2019, seeking access to data held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency before 27 February 2020; and if not, why not.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency aims to reply to all freedom of information requests within the 20 working-day statutory deadline set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In circumstances where we need to consider whether the public interest in releasing the information is outweighed by the public interest in not giving the information (the ‘public interest test’) the Act allows us to extend the deadline for reply beyond the usual 20 working days. This was applied to Mrs Lyon’s request and we responded by the revised deadline of 13 January.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Private Education

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of section 63 of the Children and Families Act 2014 in ensuring that parents of children with special educational needs or a disability are able to choose an independent school if that is their wish.

lord agnew of oulton: Section 63 of the Children and Families Act (2014) sets out the local authority’s duty to pay fees for special educational provision where an institution, including an independent institution, is named in a final education, health and care (EHC) plan.The process by which parents’ wishes are considered is, instead, set out within the ‘Special Educational Needs & Disabilities 0-25 Code of Practice’, attached, and under section 39 of the Children and Families Act (2014).Chapter 9 in the ‘Special Educational Needs & Disabilities 0-25 Code of Practice’ sets out the duties of local authorities and the rights of parents regarding the naming of schools in EHC plans. When a local authority is finalising an EHC plan, parents can ask for a particular school to be named in the plan. This can be any maintained nursery school; maintained school; any form of academy or free school (mainstream or special); non-maintained special school; independent special school or independent specialist college, where they have been approved for this purpose by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, under section 41 of the Children and Families Act (2014). These schools are published in the section 41 list, which is available to all parents and young people.The local authority must name the parent’s or young person’s choice of school in the EHC plan unless the school would be unsuitable for the child or young person’s age, ability, aptitude or special educational need or unless the child or young person’s attendance would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.The child’s parent or the young person may also make representations for places at independent schools, independent colleges or other post-16 providers that are not on the section 41 list. However, these schools are not obliged to admit children with EHC plans and local authorities are not under the same conditional duty to name these schools in EHC plans.As at January 2019, there were 17,362 children and young people with EHC plans in independent schools. This figure represents 4.9% of all children and young people with an EHC plan. 



HL141_SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015
(PDF Document, 3.23 MB)

Schools: Inspections

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to remove the restriction on Ofsted's inspection of schools which teach for less than 18 hours a week.

lord agnew of oulton: Settings that only have pupils attending for less than 18 hours per week are not considered full time and are therefore not required to register as schools. As they are not registered as schools, such settings are not subject to inspection. In March 2018, the department published guidance setting out how the government, Ofsted and local authorities can work collaboratively to help ensure children attending unregistered schools and out-of-school settings are safe and are receiving a suitable education. This guidance is attached and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-school-registration.Part-time settings should be considered to be out-of-school settings, which the department currently defines as “any institution providing tuition, training, instruction or activities to children in England, without their parents’ or carers supervision, that is not a school, college, 16-19 academy or provider caring for children under 8 years old, which is registered with Ofsted or a childcare agency.” This covers a large, broad and diverse sector, ranging from: settings offering part-time or supplementary education to support mainstream or home education and religious settings offering education in their own faith, to extra-curricular clubs and activities, such as dance classes, sports tuition, as well as uniformed youth organisations.In 2015, the government consulted on proposals to introduce a new system regulation of the sector. However, in 2018 following careful consideration of the large number of wide ranging views and representations received, the government decided not to pursue the model proposed, but to instead further develop the evidence base for a national approach, including future legislation where gaps in existing powers might be identified. In connection with this, the government is currently taking forward a package of measures aimed at enhancing the safeguarding of children in this sector, including the provision of £3 million of targeted funding, in 16 local authorities, to test different approaches to multi-agency working. This work will be used to inform best practice on how existing legal powers, held by local authorities and other agencies, such as the Police, Ofsted and the Charity Commission can best be used to intervene in settings of concern and to help inform the need for any further legislation.Some part-time settings provide alternative provision which is commissioned by a school or local authority. Ofsted can look at such a part-time setting as part of an inspection of the commissioner. In all cases (whether commissioning a place for a child in care or any other child), the local authority or school acting as the alternative provision commissioner should assure themselves that the setting is registered where applicable and that the provision is delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks.



HL157_Guidance
(PDF Document, 571.01 KB)

Universities: Pay

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the remuneration of vice-chancellors of universities is at an appropriate level.

baroness berridge: While universities are autonomous institutions and responsible for setting the pay of their staff, they receive significant amounts of public funding and are rightly subject to public scrutiny.‎ Vice chancellor salaries must be justifiable and should not be excessive.‎ The process for setting pay must be transparent. The government agrees with the recommendation made by the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) in its senior staff remuneration code that vice chancellors should not sit on the committee that sets their pay. The government set up the Office for Students (OfS) to regulate the higher education sector and to ensure the sector is delivering real value for money. The OfS has said that universities should, as a minimum, be following the CUC senior staff remuneration code. Where issues with senior staff pay lead to concerns, the OfS has the power to carry out independent reviews to ensure that a provider’s governance arrangements are fit for purpose.

Universities: Freedom of Expression

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote freedom of speech on campuses at universities.

baroness berridge: This government will ensure that our universities are places where free speech can thrive and will strengthen academic freedoms.The freedom to express views openly, challenge ideas and engage in robust debate is crucial to the student experience and to democracy. Individuals should never be in a position where they can be stopped from, or are made to feel inhibited in, expressing an opinion perfectly lawfully.The government worked alongside the Equalities and Human Rights Commission which published new guidance in February 2019 on freedom of speech in higher education to support higher education providers and students’ unions in delivering their duties.The Office for Students (OfS) also has an important role to play in championing free speech and promoting good practice. A public interest principle relating to free speech is built into the OfS regulatory framework.The government will be looking closely at how well higher education providers are meeting these obligations and will consider whether further action is needed, working with a range of partners.

Universities: Hate Crime

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat hate crime at universities.

baroness berridge: Any incident of hate crime is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate staff and students being victims of it at our world-leading universities.Higher education (HE) providers have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. They should discharge their responsibilities fully and have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, and to investigate and swiftly address incidents reported to them.In its guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), the government has tasked the OfS to tackle these important issues, including the implementation of Universities UK’s (UUK) Taskforce recommendations. The OfS and its predecessor body allocated £4.7 million for a safeguarding scheme to address harassment and hate crime in HE. On 9 January 2020, the OfS published a consultation on harassment and sexual misconduct in HE. This consultation, which concludes on 27 March 2020, asks for views on how the OfS will regulate harassment, including hate-based and sexual misconduct. The OfS expects providers to have policies, processes and systems in place to effectively address these issues.Evaluation to date has shown that progress has been made but that there is still more to do. The government will continue to work closely with partners, including UUK and the OfS to support work to address hate crime and harassment in universities.

Ministry of Justice

Disasters

lord wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to establish an independent public advocate.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to supporting bereaved families after public disasters and during public inquests.We have consulted on proposals to establish an independent public advocate and will publish a response in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Strait of Hormuz: Warships

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the UK naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz.

baroness goldie: The UK keeps its global military deployments, including its naval presence, under constant review to ensure it is aligned to changing threat levels; the Middle East is no different. The UK is committed to working with our maritime industry, and will take all necessary steps to protect our ships and citizens, and uphold freedom of navigation while urging de-escalation.

Armed Forces: Housing

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the energy efficiency of residential accommodation for the Armed Forces over the next three years.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence is committed to improving energy efficiency through targeted investment in accommodation. In financial year 2019-20 £48.5 million has been invested in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to improve thermal efficiency. Projects include fitting external wall insulation; installing new windows and doors; replacement loft insulation and the installation of efficient boilers and central heating systems.A further investment of £50 million is planned for similar projects in financial year 2020-21.In addition, pilot schemes are in development to deliver both near zero energy SFA and retrofitting to significantly enhance energy efficiency.Improvements to Single Living Accommodation will be delivered through efficiency targets on all new build and major refurbishments.

Warships

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the availability of Royal Navy warships.

baroness goldie: Progress is already being made to improve performance, availability and resilience of the Type 45 Destroyers with the Power Improvement Project and the Equipment Improvement Plan. The arrival of the Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates in to service will also provide a step change in levels of availability.

Warships

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the budget for ensuring the availability of Royal Navy warships in each of the last three years.

baroness goldie: The Royal Navy's ships are continually being updated and upgraded to meet new threats or to replace obsolete technology.Information regarding all of the costs associated with the availability of Royal Navy ships is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the availability of armoured vehicles for the army.

baroness goldie: There are a range of programmes in place that will improve availability, reduce obsolescence and improve safety and reliability across the armoured fleet. The Heavy Armour Automotive Improvement Programme (HAAIP) will provide improvements for the heavy armour fleet including Challenger 2, Challenger Armoured Recovery Vehicle, Titan and Trojan. The HAAIP will deliver a common engine and suspension across all variants which will substantially enhance reliability. In addition, Warrior is being upgraded through the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme which will significantly enhance reliability. The Ministry of Defence is also working closely with Babcock to better anticipate maintenance requirements in order to take preventative action and improve reliability. The new Boxer and AJAX platforms will both have a fully integrated 'Health and Usage Monitoring System' which will greatly enhance the Army's ability to conduct preventative maintenance and so remedy faults early.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the budget for ensuring the availability of armoured vehicles for the army in each of the last three years.

baroness goldie: The Army has spent over £485million supporting its armoured vehicle fleet over the past three years. This has delivered a modernised fleet that is fit for purpose, safe and provides the competitive advantage our soldiers require on operations.

Cabinet Office

Prime Minister: Recruitment

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the email account ideasfornumber10@gmail.com has been approved as an official means of recruiting staff to work as special advisers or civil servants; and what are the approved person specifications for the “super-talented weirdos” and “misfits with odd skills” who are invited to apply.

earl howe: The blog invites people to get in touch to discuss opportunities. The blog post does not set out proposed recruitment processes.Recruitment to the Civil Service is through fair and open competition following section 10 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.Special Adviser appointments are made by Ministers in accordance with section 15 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.

Subversion: Russia

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government when thereport from the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on Russian influence in UK politics will be published.

earl howe: In line with his responsibilities in the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Prime Minister carefully considered and approved the report, and is content that its publication would not prejudice the functions of those bodies that safeguard our national security.We acknowledge the public’s interest in the publication of the report; however the report itself is the property of the independent ISC. As such it is not for the Government to publish it; it is for the ISC to lay it before Parliament. Once a new Committee has been established, it will be up to them to choose when they wish to publish it. The process to establish a new Committee has already begun.